In-House Lab

Knoxville Smiles at Malone & Costa Dentistry is proud to have an in-house lab that we use for a wide range of patient dental care needs. While many dental offices use an outside lab to fabricate dental restorations, we believe that having an in-house dental lab better serves our Knoxville, TN area patients.

What does having an in-house lab mean?

Rather than sending out old-fashioned dental impressions to an external laboratory, we send our digital impressions directly downstairs to our highly skilled and experienced lab technician, Bob! Bob is the owner of Cutshaw Labs, and husband to our dental assistant, Missy. He is a master lab technician who has been practicing for nearly 40 years and has been a partner in care with Dr Malone for nearly a quarter-century! He collaborates with our doctors on any dental restorations that require lab work, such as cosmetic restorations, dental crowns, bridges.

How having an in-house lab benefits our patients

There are many benefits associated with having an in-house laboratory:

• For patients with complex dental needs, Bob is just as involved in care planning as Dr. Malone, Dr. Costa, and Dr Bre. He routinely comes upstairs to meet patients, so you can meet your lab technician face-to-face and know who is involved in your care from start to finish.
• We can ensure that the highest quality materials and latest techniques are being used in the laboratory. Bob continually refines his laboratory methods and technologies, and usually has his professional-grade 3D printers running all day long, using digital designs for all prosthetics.

• We can achieve the right balance between technology and customized care. While technology is the best option for some steps in the dental restoration process, other steps simply have better results when performed by hand. To this end, Bob individualizes custom crowns and prosthetics by hand painting and glazing to create the most natural look possible.
• Bob helps to plan some of our most complex cases which involve implant supported hybrid dentures. His immaculate attention to detail allows the finished product to be delivered with ease.

In addition, having an in-house lab allows us to rapidly fix issues should they arise, such as:

• Alterations to a restoration when it doesn’t quite fit right or has a slightly incorrect shade; instead of having to wait for many weeks to send the restoration back to the lab and wait for it to be returned, we can make the changes right here on the same day.
• For patients undergoing clear aligner treatment to straighten their teeth, we manufacture our clear aligners for orthodontic movement right downstairs unlike other clear aligner companies. This means that if you lose a tray or if your dog eats it, we can make a new one immediately instead of waiting for it to ship in the mail and losing precious time in your treatment plan.
• If you break a tooth and are in need of more dental work, but don’t want to wait for a new restoration with a gap in your smile, Bob can make a beautiful clear tray with a crown in place that instantly brings your smile back!

In short, having an in-house laboratory is just another way that we are able to enhance the quality of care that we provide to the patients of Knoxville Smiles at Malone & Costa Dentistry. To schedule an appointment with us, call (865) 426-1776 today!